Urinary incontinence is a condition characterized by involuntary loss of urine beyond the individual's control. One cause for this loss of control is damage to the urethral sphincter caused by, for example, prostatectomy, radiation therapy or pelvic accidents. Other causes of incontinence include bladder instability, over-flowing incontinence and fistulas.
Currently, there are a few known surgical treatments for male incontinence, including the implantation of an Artificial Urinary Sphincter (e.g. AMS Sphincter 800 available from American Medical Systems, Minnetonka, Minn.), the implantation of a bone-screw fixated male sling (e.g. AMS InVance, available from American Medical Systems), and a few other procedures. Other procedures that have been largely discontinued include the implantation of a Kaufman III Prosthesis beneath the urethra. All of these prostheses exert a pressure on the urethra to prevent unintentional voiding of the bladder.
A drawback to these aforementioned techniques relates to tensioning. After implantation of the InVance male sling, for example, any adjustments to the pressure exerted on the urethra by the prosthesis must be performed during a separate procedure. To adjust the Artificial Urinary Sphincter, additional instrumentation may also be required. These additional procedures may subject the patient to increased risk of infection and may also make the procedure more costly. An additional drawback is that these devices have little tolerance for improvement or deterioration in the patient's incontinence condition. Thus, minor changes in the patient's condition may require another surgical procedure.